A conventional resin-sealed semiconductor device generally comprises an insulation substrate on which a chip-mounting portion is provided, leads which are radially disposed around the chip-mounting portion, an IC chip which is mounted on the chip-mounting portion, bonding wires which connect the inner leads of the leads to the electrode pads of the IC chip, outer terminals which are connected with outer leads, and a resin which seals up the IC chip and the bonding portion of the outer leads and the outer terminals. Due to the above structure, a short-circuit accident which is caused by the deformation of the lead when resin is injected to the lead substrate having the highly-integrated IC chip is prevented.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-57236 discloses that the suspender of a tape automated bonding (TAB) device can be fixed to the island in the lead frame to enhance a mechanical strength and obtain a similar advantage.
However, the conventional resin-sealed semiconductor devices have problems as follows:
They are prepared by resin-sealing while the outer terminals of the lead frame are connected to the lead substrate or the outer leads of the TAB device, cutting the tie bars, plating, cutting the leads, and conducting the electrical test to select good devices. Therefore, they require many steps after resin-sealing even if a defect occurs in the steps of bonding and resin-sealing. These result in the waste of process and resources. Meanwhile, they may also require a re-molding of the outer terminals when the outer terminal is subjected to the deformation caused by the electric test and the like.